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Johnson discusses the week’s key encounters

Sunday, April 8th 2018

Lee Johnson admits this week’s fixtures will be season-defining for City’s quest for a play-off spot.

Four points adrift of the top six after a 2-0 defeat to Millwall, City now host Birmingham City at Ashton Gate on Tuesday night (April 10th, 7.45pm kick-off) before heading to Teesside to tackle sixth-placed Middlesbrough on Saturday.

The City boss believes anything less than four points will end their hopes of a place in the end-of-season lottery.

He said: “These next two games are our season.

“We’ve got to win these next two games, or at least take four points. Simple. But the aim is six.

“We haven’t shown the Bristol City badge enough respect in the last four or five weeks.

“We've had a spell of conceding too many goals, we’ve worked on our structure and organisation to get back to where we were at the start of the season.

"I’m not making excuses. There’s nothing worse than a manager who does lots of press conferences a week, loses a game and people come out saying ‘I’m making excuses’. I tell you the facts and the truth as how I see it.

“I’m as frustrated as everyone else and all I can do is continue to try and keep the players going."

He added: "The team I picked at Millwall was built around our ethos of busy footballers who can run and slide balls in behind.

“Callum (O’Dowda) is athletic, he has that pace and we started well but we shouldn’t have stopped doing that just because our opponent scored a goal. Nothing should change in that scenario.

"I’m disappointed in a few individuals; I’m disappointed for the fans and I apologise to them because our form hasn’t been good enough.